


Consider Her Options

by zarabithia



Category: Captain America (Comics), Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-29
Updated: 2010-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-26 13:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/283702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To celebrate the Avengers winning against Osborn, the Avengers have a party. The Young Avengers play Truth or Dare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consider Her Options

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to cero ate for cheerleading and hand-holding.

They are, Eli strongly protests, all a little too old to be playing Truth or Dare. Kate agrees with him, primarily because it's the responsible thing to do, and she _is_ responsible.

Sometimes.

At the beginning of the Avengers get together, the rest of the Young Avengers agree with Eli's stance too. But as the night wears on, and the party celebrating the Avengers' triumph over Osborn continues, sheer boredom begins chipping away at the agreement.

By the time that Teddy gets up the courage to shift into Barton's form (which, combined with Billy's expression, gives Kate some seriously gorgeous mental images) in order to steal them all each a glass of the very spiked punch, Kate can't even feign the responsibility to protest underage drinking.

Eli gives them all a mighty scowl before taking his cup. "This is so not superhero behavior," he mutters.

But he does take a sip anyway, and the grimace on his face makes Kate laugh into her cup.

"I would like to promise you that we're not always like this," she says to Rikki, at her left, once the giggles have stopped.

"But that would be a lie," Rikki finishes for her.

"Pretty much," Kate agrees. She watches Rikki fiddle with her cup and feels a pang of sympathy for the other girl. What is mindless and harmless entertainment for the Young Avengers has to be putting a former sidekick to Captain America in a rough spot. Kate can just imagine Steve Rogers giving long, detailed lectures on the evil of drinking, underage or no. She swallows down the laugh that image gives her and insists firmly, "You don't have to drink it, if you don't want to, you know. No one will judge you or care."

"I will!" Tommy protests.

"But Tommy doesn't count," Eli chips in, and Kate could hug him for it. Not because she doesn't adore Tommy, but because Eli is the closest thing this world has to a Cap sidekick (well, except maybe Bucky. That whole situation is a little odd and Kate's not really sure she understands it) and it probably helps that he gives Rikki an out.

Rikki looks relieved when Billy hands her a fresh, non-spiked glass. Kate squeezes her shoulder lightly.

Then, of course, they all gather around into a circle and begin to play Truth or Dare.

The game, like their party, starts innocently enough. Teddy goes first, and Eli chooses truth (of course, Kate thinks.) Teddy asks Eli, "If you were able to do it, would you allow your grandfather to be healed, if it meant the world would lose Steve Rogers?"

Kate whistles into her cup. It's a harsh question, and Eli stares incredulously at Teddy for a minute before deciding that no, he'd rather have a dare after all.

Fairly enough, Teddy shrugs, and dares Eli to kiss Tommy, who in turn (after some outrage at having to kiss Eli), asks Teddy, "What is the most _wrong_ form you've ever taken to make out with Billy?"

It's a weird question to ask someone dating someone who might be your twin, but they _are_ talking about Tommy.

From there, their innocent game of Truth or Dare pretty much morphs into The All About Sex Game.

"Honestly," Rikki whispers, "We should have skipped pretense and just decided to play Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven."

Kate laughs behind her cup again, and is not at all surprised when Jonas overhears Rikki. Still, Kate is feeling bold and she answers "Dare" when Jonas questions her.

"I dare you to spend 'seven minutes in heaven' with the teammate of your choice," Jonas says solemnly.

Kate can't tell if it is Jonas being a pervert or if this is his way of understanding what a phrase he's unfamiliar with means. Either way, Cassie looks like she can't decide whether to hit her boyfriend (not that it would do much good) or laugh.

Kate wonders, briefly, about that comment Jonas made about taking Kate's form when he and Cassie made out. Suddenly, it seems less like a throwaway line and more ... very possible.

She'll think about the ramifications of that later. "C'mon, Rikki," she says, ignoring the hopeful looks on Eli and Tommy's faces. "You're the one who brought it up. You might as well join me in the coat closet."

It's eerily quiet as they make their way to the closet, push the empty hangers out of the way, and close the door behind them. It's still entirely too quiet _inside_ the coat closet, but with the bonus noise of the older Avengers singing off key to some terrible song Kate figures was recorded before her birth, on the other side of the wall.

They're far more drunk than she is, and Kate figures Cap has to be so very pissed.

She starts to tell Rikki just has awesome she thinks that is, when Rikki interrupts her thoughts with a quick, hesitant kiss.

Kate jumps back in surprise and hits several of the empty coat hangers. It makes a very loud, very obnoxious "clang," and she wonders what it sounds like to her teammates.

"Sorry!" Rikki exclaims in a hushed whisper. "I thought ... um. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? It is in my world, but this world is ... different."

"No, no. It is exactly what you're supposed to do," Kate assures her in an equally hushed whisper. "You just took me by surprise."

And to prove that she's telling the truth, Kate very nervously kisses Rikki back.

The second kiss is longer, fuller, and ... warmer. Warm is a very good description, Kate thinks, because there is a definite warm buzzing in her ears and the jittery breaths Rikki draws as she pulls away are definitely...warm. Yes, very, very warm.

Paradoxically, Kate's arms tingle as though she is covered in goosebumps.

"Say something, Kate," Rikki asks softly, while Kate is still trying to get her tongue to work.

Well, she thinks, very aware that Rikki is watching her for any sign of how to react, that is _new_. Very, very new.

"My brains not working very well," Kate admits. "And I'm not sure if it's because of the rum or because of the kiss."

Rikki bites her lip and then tosses her hair with a kind of implied recklessness that Kate is sure neither one of them really feel right now. "Maybe we can figure that out later...when you aren't buzzed."

"Maybe we can," Kate agrees, because she is a Hawkeye and no one leaps like a Hawkeye. "But in the meantime, we have at least five more minutes to kill."

~~

Some minutes later, Kate and Rikki emerge from the closet.

"Tommy drank your punch," Cassie tattles.

"I was thirsty, Teddy wouldn't go for more, and you were in there for a lot longer than seven minutes," Tommy complains.

"It's your turn," Eli says, in a very neutral tone of voice.

That's an issue she'll deal with later, because Kate knows it has to be. But for now, she pays attention to the game. "Truth or Dare, Rikki?"

Rikki leans forward, resting her hands on her knees. " _Dare_."

"Oh, the _possibilities,"_ Kate retorts.

Cassie's face is asking Kate a million questions, but they are questions that go unanswered as Kate leans back on her hands and considers the options.


End file.
